World IN BRIEF : NORTH KOREA : Japan Apologizes for Its Harsh Rule
Japan formally apologized to North Korea for its harsh colonial rule from 1910 to 1945, but rejected Pyongyang’s demands for economic compensation to cover the last 90 years. As Japan and North Korea opened the first formal round of talks on establishing normal relations in Pyongyang, it became clear that both sides remained far apart on key issues. Vice Foreign Minister Chon In-chol, representing the North Korean delegation, told reporters later that Japan should bear some responsibility for the division of the Korean peninsula, which occurred after Japan’s defeat in World War II.
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